The invention relates to improvements in masts for sailboats, for wheel-mounted or skid-mounted vehicles which travel on ice, or for any other type of sail-propelled craft. The following description will refer primarily to sailboats (i.e., to sail-propelled watercraft) with the understanding, however, that the mast of the present invention can be used with equal or similar advantage in all kinds of sail-bearing sail-propelled craft for use on water, on ice or on the ground.
British Pat. No. GB 2 037 686 A discloses a composite mast which comprises two elongated sections and a plurality of transversely extending crosspieces or traverses between the sections. Each section has a substantially drop-shaped or tear-shaped cross-sectional outline in order to reduce resistance which is offered by air when the craft is in motion on water. A drawback of the patented mast is that its stability is not entirely satisfactory, especially if a sailboat utilizing the patented mast is to be manipulated in strong winds and in rough waters.